Recollections
by Mysteriol
Summary: In the dark and dingy abbey devoid of freedom, an inseparable duo is determined to fight against all odds and make it out someday...Featuring snippets of Kai and Tala's childhood past in Balkov Abbey. UPDATE
1. climb a tree

**Recollections**

-climb a tree-

_A/N: _

_Inspired by AngelhearteD, chibi-lothlen, carzla, and a few other amazing writers who have laid down the vague foundations of Kai and Tala's childhood past spent in Balkov Abbey, I've decided to start a chaptered story featuring snippets of our beloved beybladers' past, taken from different times in their abbey years. _

_Named 'Recollections' for simple reasons, and future works, just like this one, will be totally fictional and imaginative, for Beyblade only started featuring Kai and Tala after their abbey days. _

_Mysterio000_

Young Kai stared up, a good few feet beyond his height, and perhaps a little taller than he would like to tilt his head skywards. His neck hurt, and his cobalt eyes were widening into the eyes of saucers, incredulity hemming at its edges. He scowled.

"You want me to climb this tree?"

Beside him, his redhaired friend grinned, bouncing up and down on his feet excitedly. "Try it, Kai! It's going to be a real experience!"

Kai rolled his eyes, folding his arms and walking away. "You're mad, Tala. Let me guess: you woke me up in the middle of the night, disturbed my precious sleep, had us risked incurring the Balkov guards' wraths by sneaking along the abbey, just to come out here to climb a _tree?" _

Tala's grin never faltered. "Come on, Kai, just climb the tree!"

Kai was not a happy person when anyone - even someone known as Tala Ivanov, his only true friend of the abbey - interrupted his few peaceful hours he could find in bed. In response, he gave a full-fledge death glare that would have intimidated the likes of any mortal, but this was Tala, and Tala succumbed to not even a Hiwatari's descendant.

"Know what, Tala?" Kai was walking away. "I think you're out of your mind. And crazy."

One hand shot out to stop Kai. "C'mon, Kai, don't be a spoilsport! I promise it'll be the experience of your life! Unless you're telling me you can't climb trees and scale them?" It was a taunt that Tala knew would get to Kai. The latter hated anyone who dared undermine his moral courage, and Kai was not one who back down to challenges.

Tala hit the right spot, and Kai frowned, halting in his tracks.

"You're going to pay dearly after this, Tala."

Tala's lips curled into a boyish grin, though feral in its trademark style somehow that was typically the wolfish young boy. "Okay!"

Kai stepped up to the tall tree that he stood like a two-feet dwarf beside it, inferior in comparison of physical height. With a final, last glare shot at Tala, his hands felt for the bark of the tree, before his legs caught on to some crawling vines around. Expertly, he launched himself up perfectly, and within seconds, Kai had made his way up onto the highest branch where he sat, smirking down arrogantly.

"So? What's your point, Tala? I didn't do it just so I can sit up here and watch you dwarf in inferiority down there."

It was Tala's turn to glare, before springing up to the same branch primate-style. Both abbey-trained kids had been used to the tough trainings. This was no feat to them apparently.

"What's up, you idiot? You woke me up just to see if I could climb a tree faster than you? I know you are competitive, but till this extent is ridiculous." Kai scoffed.

Tala frowned, "C'mon, everyone knows I'm better in tree-scaling than you."

"Hn, you're delusional."

"Anyway," Tala chose to ignore the remark, pointing ahead with a faint smile touching his lips, "this view gives us an advantage, because look ahead!"

And Kai did, much to his astonishment, albeit keeping silent still. Now he knew why Tala had called him to tree climbing past midnight, especially choosing the tallest tree residing within abbey grounds. The sight before them was spectacular, and it offered a glorious expanse of view ahead.

For the first time, Kai saw what laid outside the abbey. The world before then had been dark and dingy, but now, he saw hope, just like he could see the city lights from this aerial point. The skies shimmered, mingling with the vibrancy of the city life a few distances up ahead. It was truly captivating; breathtaking.

Young Kai drew in a breath. Tala spoke beside him. "We've been locked up in here for so long that we certainly have missed out on the sunshine outside, huh, Kai?"

Both boys exchanged similar looks of longing and hope to roam as freely as birds one day.

"I guess." Kai admitted quietly, inhaling the midnight fresh air.

"Well, Kai," Tala grinned, "we're going to make it out of here someday no matter what."

Kai watched the scenery unfolded before him, and nodded. "Someday."

And Tala slung a friendly arm around his friend's shoulder, his grin softening into a true, honest smile, "We'll just have to endure all these trainings and stick together till then, huh, Kai."

"Hn," Kai elicited his trademark sound, but there was an accompanying smile on his face as he felt the friendly warmth embracing his heart, "Till then? You mean, forever, don't you, Tala."

Slightly taken aback by surprise, Tala's lips parted slightly, before recovering quickly, and offering Kai a huge grin.

"Yea, Kai, forever sounds good to me."

**Owari **

_A/N: _

_End to the first chaptered snippet of their childhood, and will be continued with more future snippets in time to come! Cheers, review and make my day, even though you already know this fic is going to be continued! _

_mysterio000_


	2. white scarf

**Recollections**

-white scarf-

"It's raining." Kai mumbled. He spoke softly, but the wind amidst the pouring rain carried his words away. Kneeling by his side, the redhaired friend, Tala Ivanov, never lifted his eyes from tending to Kai's wound on his arm.

Concentrating, Tala encircled the white cloth round and round the nasty gash inflicted down Kai's upper arm, his aqua eyes trained onto it.

Kai, slightly annoyed, declared once again. "It's raining."

This time, Tala blinked, and a frown took to his lips. "Thanks for the weather report, Kai."

Kai would have crossed his arms if he was capable, but instead, he resorted to frowning back. "We are going to be wet."

"Yes, of course. Rain makes people wet, I know that." Tala, unfazed, continued to tend to the wound.

Kai frowned, his lips stuck out in a firm manner. "You are drenched, Tala."

"Hn, and you think I'm going to fall sick just because of this stupid rain. Yeah right, I'll sooner tell you that Dranzer actually has some power than admitting a drastic weather like this can weaken my immune system. Ha ha, nice try, Kai, but it's not working." Tala responded sarcastically, his eyes still fully focused onto bandaging his friend's arm.

"But--" Kai spoke up, but was interrupted by the older boy who glared at him.

"So you want me to leave you out in this weather to rot while you bleed and die as you make your way back to the abbey? Ha ha, very funny, but this is not what Tala Ivanov does." A strict face crossed Tala's face at first, but an eventual half-grin touched his lips. "Tala Ivanov is not someone who walks out on a friend at critical times, you know."

Stunned into silence, Kai looked to the ground, his eyes searching for something…anything. Then slowly, those cobalt orbs watched those nimble, ivory fingers work their way dexterously on the white cloth, in and out, in and out, round and round…And then he lifted his eyes to stare at his friend.

Even when the temperature was awfully chilly out here with the billowing winds and its pelting, relentless rain, his closest friend in the abbey had chosen to help tend his wounds to prevent infection…instead of returning with the others back to the abbey to get warmth and a good shower.

Tala Ivanov was always like this, Kai thought, a small smile touching his lips as he took a last, quick glance at his friend's concentrated facial expression.

"What are you staring at?" Tala snapped, annoyed. He hated anyone invading his personal space and privacy.

Kai shook his head. "Nothing." He mumbled.

"Argh, there's not enough bandage left to stop the bleeding." Tala remarked, a frustrated look overtaking his face. Hastily, he emptied his pockets for any aid that could help his friend, but chances were slim, it appeared.

"Just leave it. It wouldn't get infected." Kai assured, pulling his arm away, grimacing inwardly at the searing pain.

Tala responded by gripping Kai's arm back, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "How can you be so sure, Kai? Don't act smarter than me, 'cause you're not."

Kai frowned, and Tala smirked a bit. "I'm not taking any chances, okay." The redhaired having said that, began to pull out a white scarf previously hidden beneath his collared shirt.

Cobalt eyes widened into the size of saucers, as young Kai recognized the object. He stared disbelievingly at the older boy. "Tala, you can't--"

"Shut up, idiot." Tala chided him quietly, but his tone held command that expected obedience. Firmly but carefully, he pulled Kai's arm forward, and he encircled the scarf around the rest of the wound.

"B-But, Tala…" Kai sought to refuse. He knew how much that scarf meant to Tala. It had been his final farewell gift from his late mother before he was placed into the abbey.

"I hate people who say 'buts' all the time." Tala said. Already, the scarf around Kai's arm was pooling with fresh blood of the victim, tainting its previously pristine white material. Kai looked disapprovingly at his new bandage.

"Tala--"

"Don't make me knock you unconscious just to bandage your wound, Kai." Tala said this with a hint of light-hearted humor, and his eyes lifted briefly to meet uncertain, apologetic ones of Kai.

Wordlessly, taking from that moment, the white scarf made its way around a certain gash, and two boys stayed in the pouring rain on the grounds of Russia.

"There you go!" Tala announced, triumphant at his successful first-aid attempt. He patted the bandages tenderly. "Remember not to aggravate the wound by any means, okay? I don't want to be wrapping it all over again."

Kai inspected his bandaged arm, before looking up.

"What? Does it still hurt?" Tala asked, worry etched against his forehead.

"No, not that." Kai shook his head vehemently, looking to the ground. Guilt rushed over him when he thought of how he had ruined his friend's only gift from his beloved mother…

"Heh, don't feel bad, Kai," Tala placed a hand on Kai's shoulder, half-grinning, "you're my friend, no?"

"_You're my friend, no?"_

The words resounded in Kai's mind, before the answer registered in him.

A boyish, honest smile touched his lips as he fingered Tala's scarf on his arm.

"Thank you then," he said quietly, eyes reflecting sincerity, "…my friend."

And the Russian rain continued to pour.

**Owari **

_A/N: _

_Hmm. I've always likened Tala and Kai to the rain, maybe it's because of the melancholy, nostalgic feel that both emits, you think? And this is my intepretation and idea of how Kai's scarf around his neck came about…that it actually belonged to Tala in the first place. I have another fic with this similar idea, but in greater details and depth, and shall post it asap when I find the time. For now, review, even though you already know I'm continuing with this. _

_Reviews spur me on! So make my day with just a click away! Cheers!_

_mysterio000_


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